An Unfortunate Engagement
by ACrackedLens
Summary: Maela is the cousin of Captain Phasma and is on Star Killer Base on a visit with her mother. Maela's mother wishes to find a suitable husband for her daughter here among the elite officers of the First Order. Maela wants nothing to do with marriage or the First Order and must find a way out of an engagement to a mad-man. Set before and during TFA.
1. Prolouge

An Unfortunate Engagement

"Mother, must we go to that drab base? I hear it's awful there," Maela whined as she packed her bags.

"Whether or not it is as awful as people say, we are going," her mother said in a stern tone, "We are going to visit your brother and cousin and that is my final say." Maela knew better than to bicker with her mother, but she had very mixed feelings about the trip. Her mother had been trying to marry her off ever since she had turned 18 and with the passing of ten years, her mother was becoming more and more frantic to find her daughter a husband. There was no doubt that Maela's mother was insisting on this visit to Star Killer Base to find a nice officer to marry Maela.

"Then you may want to think again about what you are packing, Mother. It is supposed to be very cold on the base; I hear it is constantly covered in snow," She informed the woman who had pulled a sleeveless gown from the wardrobe in Maela's room.

"You hear many things," the elder woman chided as she returned the gown. After some perusing, Maela's mother chose another gown from the wardrobe. This one had long, slender, lace sleeves, not much warmer but visually more appropriate. It was a deep red trumpet style with a Queen Anne neckline made of matte satin. This was the dress Maela's mother had Maela wear when she wanted her to impress possible suitors. Maela had to agree that the dress did look very nice on her. The cut and neckline were very flattering to her figure and the color contrasted well against her pale skin, but no matter how much Maela liked the look of the dress on herself, she hated putting it on. It took time for her mother to lace up the corset styled back and to pull and prim the sleeves until they were on just right. Not to mention the undergarments required to smooth Maela's stomach and plump her breasts and buttocks.

Maela's mother hung the dress in a large, wardrobe trunk along with the undergarments. She picked a black and silver sash to tie around Maela's waist and put it with the rest. While Maela's mother attended to the finer garments, Maela turned her attention to packing more casual attire- blouses, trousers, and lounge wear. She also snuck in loose-fitting, athletic attire for whenever she could sneak off to a training room to spare with her cousin Phasma. Maela's mother was very against Maela's learning to fight and other such "unlady-like" pursuits and so Phasma had been teaching Maela the arts of combat in secret for years. Maela did a great many things behind her mother's back such as drink, gamble, and support the resistance. Yes, that was Maela's biggest secret. She could not confide that information to anyone in her family or any of her friends. Maela was very careful to lead everyone to believe that she was like-minded to them, though she prayed every night that the First Order would be overthrown and the next generation of Jedi would appear and lead the cosmos into the prosperity of the Light.

Though she did complain of the trip, Maela was glad to be seeing her brother and cousin. It had been too long since she had been able to spar and she was desperate to reestablish her skills. Cousin Phasma had said that Star Killer Base's training rooms were the best out of any outpost of the First Order and Maela was anxious to see them for herself.

"Johime has recently been promoted to Head Engineer for his work in the conception of the very base we are going to be staying on," her mother's comment brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, he must be very proud, I know I am," I lied. I loved my family but it broke my heart to see how involved with and blinded by the darkness they were. They did not believe that their views were wrong and saw the resistance as the evil in the galaxy.

"He brings so much dignity and honor to our family, I always knew he would go far, but this out strides all expectations," Maela's mother said with pride. Her older brother was very accomplished and one of the most intelligent people she knew, she just wished he used his genius in other ways. Maela decided a change in subject was best.

"Pack the dark blue dress, please; it is my favorite," she asked her mother. It was also the most comfortable evening gown she owned.

"Of course, dear. I already have."

They finished packing in silence and soon their luggage was being carried to their ship. As they took off, something in the pit of Maela's stomach dropped and she was suddenly very terrified of where they were headed.


	2. Chapter 1

It was cold and windy as Maela and her mother stepped off of their ship. It didn't matter that they were in a hangar, the gates had not been closed and the fierce blizzard raging outside was quickly moving in. Captain Phasma was there personally to escort them to their rooms. She was off duty that day to visit with them and arrived in civilian attire. She wore a smart black blouse with the top button done and sleek black slacks. The blouse's buttons were silver and matched her heels. Maela guessed it had been quite a while since her cousin had worn clothes like these outside of her own quarters by the ever-so-slight look of discomfort in her eyes. The heels must be very uncomfortable to her. Her mother didn't notice, of course, and greeted Phasma with a hug and a kiss to each cheek.

"Phasma, my darling niece, it is so wonderful to see you! It's been too long," Maela's mother cooed, "Where is my wonderful son?"

"Hello, Auntie. Johime will join us at dinner, I'm afraid he is rather busy at the moment. You know how he gets when he works," Phasma answered.

"Yes, his new 'top secret' project he can't even tell his mother about," Maela's mother pouted. Maela wondered what it could be. Hopefully not anything worse than the gigantic weapon they were on right now. A familiar pain began in Maela's chest. Why did her beloved brother have to design monstrosities? Why couldn't he engineer things that helped people? She was afraid of the path her brother was taking, afraid that it did not have a happy ending.

"Maela, darling!" her mother called, "It is time to go."

"Coming, Mother."

"You were right, it is dreadful here," whispered her mother into her ear.

Phasma led them to their room through corridor after corridor, each exactly like the last. Maela imagined her mother getting lost and bumping into some strapping young officer, looking confused and asking for help, all the while talking about her "wonderful, beautiful daughter," or at least chatting them up herself. While she was determined to find a husband for her daughter, she was also a terrible flirt, and Maela's father had stayed at home.

"A girl could get lost in here, if you know what I mean," Maela's mother joked, confirming her suspicions.

When they arrived, they found their things had made it before them. The room was just large enough for two people to stay comfortably and Maela knew it was most likely one of the largest cabins on the base, save for officer's quarters. The walls were metallic silver, black marble covered the floor. The beds were made into the walls and dressed in black satin. A plush, white rug fit under a silver coffee table surrounded by two large black chairs and a red love-seat. To the left was a door that Maela assumed led to a bathroom. Cousin Phasma left them to unpack their things but promised to return for tea. Maela and her mother unpacked silently, both were still tired from their long journey. Maela opened the door she had seen earlier and found she was correct. She decided to take a quick bath while her mother took a nap. After her bath she dressed herself in something more fitting afternoon tea. She chose a deep blue gored dress with a black collar and fastened a thin, black leather belt around her waist. She wore black pumps and red lipstick. When she finally emerged from the bathroom, her mother was getting ready to have tea with cousin Phasma. She had ordered a water boiler and was just pouring the steaming fluid into the pearly teapot when Maela stepped in the room.

"Oh good, you're ready for tea," Maela's mother greeted her, "Could you finish preparing? I need to freshen up a bit."

"Of course, Mother." She chose an Ansionian tea, her personal favorite. It stayed dark to the last sip and was sweet and tangy. She preferred to have it with a slice of Liwi fruit but she guessed they wouldn't have that on Star Killer Base. She would ask her cousin about it when she arrived.

Shortly thereafter, Phasma was at the door and Maela's mother was rushing out of the bathroom to welcome her. Soon, they were around the coffee table, sipping tea, catching up.

"Ah, Ansionian tea? This is better with Liwi fruit, you know," Phasma said.

"I know," Maela answered, "I wish we had some."

"I'll have some brought up. I know it is your favorite and had some ordered for your visit." Sometimes it amazed Maela how considerate her cousin was for someone that killed their way to the top. Phasma used the com to order the Liwi fruit.

"Thank you," Maela said genuinely. The fruit was brought quickly and Maela had to say it was the best she had ever had.

"Tell me dear, how do you make it here with all these sweaty men around?" Maela's mother asked her niece.

"Not all officers and troopers are men, Auntie Ive. Plenty of my soldiers are women," She answered.

"Yes, of course. You might have been the first woman captain," Maela's mother said proudly, "but I forget how many women do actually enlist."

Maela skillfully repressed the urge to tell her mother that most troopers don't enlist but are stolen as children from their families. Her cousin was the one to correct her.

"Auntie, most troopers do not enlist. We acquire them as children and raise them to fight. It is the most efficient way to make a good soldier."

"Only a select few who enlist are as successful as our Captain Phasma," an unfamiliar voice sounded from behind them.

"General Hux, what a pleasure that you visit us," Phasma greeted as she stood.

"General Hux? _The_ General Hux?" Maela's mother started. Maela turned around to see an average sized man with ginger hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore an officer's uniform with cap, every button shined to perfection and black boots gleaming. She watched as he came around and stood next to Phasma, across from herself.

"Yes, Auntie, the legend himself has graced us with his presence," Phasma replied with an air of half-playful sarcasm. Maela's mother stood to take his hand, Maela following suite as it seemed the polite thing to do.

"Lady Iventi Strafe, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," he said as he gave her a small bow. Her mother curtsied.

After greeting her mother, General Hux turned to Maela and took her hand in his. He lifted it to his mouth to give it the smallest of kisses.

"You must be Captain Phasma's dear cousin she writes to so frequently. You are far more beautiful than she led me to believe." There was something about the look he gave Maela that unsettled her. She looked into his eyes and could only see a monster. This is the man who orders this weapon to be fired; this is the man who would kill millions of innocent people for a show and call it a victory. He was cruel and inhumane. He was insane, but he was such with so much poise that he was called a genius. He fooled everyone else, but not Maela. One look into his eyes dispelled the illusion and she saw his insanity, his cruelty, his sudden infatuation for her. In this moment, Maela was the most frightened she had ever been for she knew she was looking into the eyes of her future husband.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! I gotta say, I'm really surprised by all of the attention this has gotten. It's been a very long time since I've written fanfiction and I thought I might be rusty at it, but I guess this proves otherwise! Thanks, you guys!**

"Would you mind if I stay for tea?" the General asked, not taking his eyes off Maela, "I hope I was not too rude by letting myself in."

"Please, do stay!" Lady Strafe said, obviously eager to accommodate the hopeful suitor. He gave his thanks as they all sat down again. Maela's mother gave her a slight nudge with her elbow and an eyebrow wiggle. Maela tried her best to go along and give her mother a sly, flirtatious look, but she was still so shaken. She did her best to calm herself to appear normal to the group. She could do this, she told herself. This is what she always did around her family. But this was so different. The man staring at her sent sharp shivers down her spine, made every hair on her stand on end. Her mouth had gone dry and there was a lump in her throat.

"Isn't my daughter beautiful?" Maela's mother asked, as she poured General Hux's tea.

"I never did say she was not beautiful, Auntie Ive," Phasma defended.

"But you did forget to convey how truly lovely she is," General Hux said. Maela acted flustered and looked away. She could still feel his cold eyes on her flesh.

General Hux watched her; he could not help but to stare at the exquisite creature before him. Her alabaster skin shone brightly in the florescent light and contrasted spectacularly with her dark brown hair. The way her hair waved and curled entranced him. Her shy smile bewitched him. The deep, stormy ocean of her eyes enveloped him. Never had he been so captivated by the fairer sex. He decided he must make her his at any cost.

"We have Ansionian tea?" he inquired after taking a sip.

"Yes, General," Maela answered, trying to swallow the lump.

"Ansionian tea is always better with liwi fruit," he said, "Ah! You have some here, I see." He took two slices to steep in his tea.

"That is the same way Maela takes her tea," Maela's mother remarked, a sly smile curling at the edges of her lips. She gave her daughter a side-long glance. Maela did her best to smile but she was floundering. She was now regretting her refusal of all the other suitors her mother had sent her way. None of them had been prime candidates, but at least they weren't General Hux. Maela knew she would not get out of this. Now that the general had expressed obvious interest in her, her mother would not let her decline. The union would be too profitable for the family. Not that they need money- they had plenty of it- but the Strafe clan had always prided itself on steadily gaining rank whether through merit or marriage.

"You know," Lady Strafe began, "My Maela isn't all looks. She has many talents and hobbies. You should hear her play the vioflute; her teacher said she was the best student he had ever had!"

"My mother exaggerates my skills. I am only moderately proficient," Maela defended.

"Don't be modest, darling! You won second place in concert!"

"I would love to hear you play sometime, even if your skills are only 'moderate,'" General Hux smiled, "I love the vioflute."

"Oh, they're above moderate, for sure," Phasma interjected. Maela's cousin had always loved hearing her play. She had always wished she had had time to pursue other interests, but rising through the ranks of the First Order had been taxing, and Captain Phasma had little time to devote to anything else.

Maela was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Her mother seemed intent on putting her in the spotlight. Maela wished this tea would come to an end so she could collect herself. Her mother was beginning to say something else embarrassing before they heard a soft buzz.

""General Hux,"" a voice started from over the intercom, ""You are needed in conference room 3.""

"Yes, I will be there shortly," he answered.

"I must leave to attend to business, but I wish to invite you lovely ladies for dinner tonight," General Hux said as he rose to his feet, "I will have the cook prepare a special meal, just for us."

"How very kind, General," said Lady Strafe, a plan hatching behind her grey eyes.

"Yes, very gracious," Maela agreed, hoping no one would notice her apprehension.

"Then it is settled! Dinner will be at 7, my suite," General Hux said as he started for the door.

He facetiously added, "Formal attire, even you, Phasma," as he exited.

Maela's cousin gave a sharp look that followed General Hux out the door and turned a flirty gaze to her cousin.

"You really have piqued his interest," she teased with a smile spread wide on her face.

"Yes, it seems I have," Maela sighed.

"Don't get too down, Cousin. He might be a stale biscuit personality wise, but he makes an awful lot of money- enough to forget you're married to such a loser."

Maela giggled. Her cousin had always had a way of making her laugh when she was at her worst. She felt the tension of the previous moment fading, though she knew she wasn't out of the clear yet. She was far from safety still.

"Phasma! How can you say such things about the General?!" Maela's mother was aghast.

"Auntie, it's true," Phasma laughed, "he might have seemed charming for the ten minutes he was here, but he's really a giant stick in the mud without a single characteristic bone in his body."

Maela and her cousin laughed at Lady Strafe's reddening face.

"I would advise you not to laugh at your new suitor Maela, I am preparing to do everything in my power to wed you two."

"Auntie! You can't be serious?" Phasma inquired.

"I am perfectly serious, my dear," Lady Strafe stated before she left the room.

"I wonder where she's going," Phasma ragged.

"I would assume to do a bit of reconnaissance on our General Hux," Maela replied. Getting information was what Maela's mother excelled at. Sometimes, Maela joked that her mother could have been an excellent information broker if she hadn't married into the Strafe wealth. She possessed all of the important qualities of a broker; she was shrewd, cunning, manipulative, ruthless. She could get anything from anyone she wanted. Maela knew her mother would make good on her promise to wed Maela to General Hux.

"Hey, it could be worse; he could be ugly AND a git…oops, too late!" Phasma laughed at her own joke.

"But really, he's not that bad after a while. He's really, _really_ annoying but you get used to it. I think this will be very good for you; you will become the most powerful woman in the Order. You'll out-rank me! And at least it's not Kylo fucking _Ren_ \- good God. "

"Phasma, what has become of your stoic demeanor?" Maela scoffed.

"I slipped a bit of this in my tea while no one was looking," she said as she produced a shiny silver flask from her pocket.

"Phasma!" Maela laughed, "You're not drunk are you?"

"Sssh, no. Just a little tipsy. You have to drink around the Genral to survive him."

"Hey! I know what I'll get you for a wedding present! A flask to match mine and a GIANT bottle of high-proof Keela!" Phasma exclaimed.

"You're getting ahead of yourself, dear cousin. Nothing has been set in stone." Maela helped her cousin lay down on the love seat for a nap. She found a pillow to place under her head and dimmed the lights so she could sleep. She mumbled something about "at least it's not fucking Kylo Ren" and "GIANT bottle of Keela…" before drifting into slumber.

Maela took a sip of her cousin's tea. She choked on the unforeseen amount of Corellian Brandy; it was as if no tea had been poured into the cup at all! She finished off the brandy to calm her nerves and laid down for a nap of her own.

"Maela, wake up!" her mother's voice called to her, "You must get ready for dinner with General Hux."

"Is it that time already?" she asked lazily as she sat up. She glanced to the couch to see that her cousin had already left. Maela admittedly felt much better after a good nap and almost forgot her impending engagement to a mad-man before she saw it- the red dress.

"Mother, The Dress? Isn't it a little early in the game?" she asked, fear growing inside her once again.

"Dear, from what I have gathered, General Hux has had a mild infatuation with you since he saw a picture of our family in Johime's office. Now, Johime- bless him- has been talking you up to him for months and meeting you in person has only furthered his deep liking of you! If we strike hard and fast, we will win him for sure," her mother beamed, "Really, dear, this is a match made in paradise! This is the best possible scenario not just for you, but also the family! Now I'm glad you've turned every other suitor down, it's like we were building up to this wonderful climax; your intuition knew someone better was out there. You are so lucky, Maela!"

Maela slid out of bed and into her mother's embrace.

"We're so close," she whispered into Maela's ear, "So close to our goal. After ten long years, we've made it. I'm so happy for you, my darling, and so proud. I'm so proud…"

The lump came back to Maela's throat. Her eyes were wide and a tear threatened to stain her cheek. But she clenched her jaw and swallowed the lump. She could not let her mother know what she really thought of the monster she was to make her husband. She couldn't let anyone know.

"Are you cold, dear? You're shaking." She was indeed trembling, but not from cold.

"No, Mother. I just need something to calm my nerves, this is all so exciting," she lied.

"Yes, I bet you're very nervous, but fear not! Mother is here for you," her mother soothed. Her mother lead her to a chair and brewed her a cup of Jeru tea. Maela gratefully drank the sweet, syrupy liquid. She took a deep breath and began to feel better.

"I remember how I felt when my mother told me I was to marry your father, Arrakis. I knew him and I didn't much like him. You know how he can be- brash, unyielding, temperamental. I thought my life was over. Then I learned how much money he had and- hehe- well, I wasn't _as_ worried anymore. Over the years, we grew to tolerate each other and then we had two beautiful children and my life was full again."

Maela knew this story, her mother had told it to her before. She knew her mother was only trying to help, but time wouldn't fix the differences between Maela and Hux. She finished her tea and she and her mother set to work putting on the Dress.

"I have to say, you'll have a better time of marriage than I do. General Hux is much more personable than your father, and much more attractive! I could eat him up…" Maela's mother purred as she tightened Maela's corset.

"Mother," Maela chided.

"But of course I will not interfere with you! There's a little mouse down in communications that I have my eye on currently," her mother smiled. Maela rolled her eyes and smiled; her mother, the flirt. Her father did not mind her mother's flings so long as they never became public and her mother did not mind prostitutes so long as they did not become pregnant. This had been their arrangement long before Maela was born. Maela did understand that this arrangement was unusual; her Aunt and Uncle-Phasma's parents- were very much in love and Maela had always used them as her template for a healthy relationship and happy marriage.

"Of course, Mother. Just remember to keep it as quiet as one."

"Of course, of course," her mother laughed. She helped Maela step into the dress and pull it up her frame. Maela noticed it was a little tighter than usual. How long had it been since she wore this dress last? Her mother had some difficulty doing all of the buttons up the back. She threw a cape over Maela's shoulders to shield the dress as she began working on Maela's hair. She curled it and pinned it up with pearls, letting a few strands frame Maela's face. Maela applied her own foundation and powder and let her mother finish her eyes. I quick dash of blush and she was almost done. Maela took her time outlining her lips and filling them in with a shade of red that matched her dress. It might take a long time, but Maela enjoyed the process of making herself up; it had a hypnotic, calming effect and Maela couldn't help but be proud of her skills.

"There you are! A perfect porcelain doll…" her mother cooed.

"You need to start getting ready, Mother!" Maela exclaimed, "We will be late!" Maela might not like the idea of dinner with General Hux, but it was not in her character to be late to any event.

"I'm not going, dear. I've told them I'm not feeling well," Maela's mother said.

"Oh, are you going down to communications then?" Maela asked slyly.

"I might be!" her mother smiled. Maela couldn't help but find humor in how quickly her mother moved from toy to toy. It was almost meritable.

"Who is escorting me to dinner in your absence?"

"Your brother should be by shorty."

"Johime was invited to dinner?"

"Of course, dear. General Hux is trying his best to impress you! He's invited every member of your family on this base to dinner as a show- a large, brightly plumed show."

"He is very intent on winning my favor…"

"Of course he is, he's no idiot. He knows how spectacular you are and is not about to let you slip through his fingers without a fair fight! You and I might know there's no real fight, of course, but we can't let him know that!" Her mother laughed and Maela gave a small chuckle.

"Maela, remember; you must always let them think they've won you- it boosts their egos," her mother added. Maela disliked these games, she'd much rather just be straight with people. Maela's entire life revolved around cunning games and secrets and she was growing tired of it. A noise sounded at the door.

"Ah! That must be your brother!" her mother exclaimed as she wrapped a shawl over her shoulders in an effort to look ill.

"Johime, I- Oh, General Hux, what a surprise!"

"Yes, I'm sorry, but Johime has canceled on us so I came to retrieve Miss Strafe. I do hope you feel better soon, Lady Strafe," he said, "It seems there is something going around the base; Phasma has also called in ill." He set his eyes on Maela and the sight took his breath away. She was absolutely stunning. The way the dress she wore clung to her curves and exhibited her breasts was enticingly sexy. The black sash tied around her waist only accentuated its thinness. Her hair was pinned up and exposed her pale neck. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and soon, he hoped, she would be his bride.

Maela would bet her cousin was very ill from the amount she drank at tea; Corellian Brandy was nothing to scoff at. Though she wondered what kept her brother.

"Why has Johime rescinded your invitation?" she asked.

"He has gotten very busy with a breakthrough on his latest project, I am afraid. You would know more than I how he gets with his work."

"That is unfortunate, I have not had a chance to see my brother since I arrived." Maela wondered if this current chain of events was orchestrated by her mother.

"It is, but I thought, why let all of this good food and drink go to waste? Will you please accept my invitation to dinner for two?"

"Yes, the few of us that can enjoy it should."

"Shall we be going then?"

Maela nodded and followed General Hux. Her mother caught her on her way by and whispered in her ear, "I couldn't have planned this better myself! Good luck~"

As Maela followed General Hux through the winding corridors of Star Killer Base, her pulse quickened. She began to perspire and her mouth went dry. Her stomach began doing flips. She could not believe she had to have dinner alone with this villain.

"I am very glad you have accepted my invitation. It has been my deepest wish to meet you for a long time now," he admitted, his cheeks becoming flushed, "I should say that your brother has told me much about you and I have grown very infatuated with you; though I understand that I am only a stranger to you." Here, alone with her, he was barely able to restrain himself. He wanted her.

"You are a stranger for now, but I wish to change that," she responded. Her words were music to him, though she almost could not bear to hear them escape her lips.

They arrived at his suite and Maela was almost completely overwhelmed with fear of spending the evening alone with him in his quarters before the door was opened by a waiter and she saw that there were a few others as well; the chef and the sommelier. She sighed with relief as she was shown to the table. General Hux pulled her chair out for her before seating himself. The table was rectangular, placements for five were still set although only two would be used. General Hux sat at the head of the table, with Maela on his right. The lights were dim and candles were lit in gleaming silver holders on the table. The table cloth was charcoal grey with a runner that- strangely- matched Maela's dress. Maela looked around. The dining room was in the far left of the apartment by what must be a staff lift connected to the kitchen. To the far right, across the lobby from the table was a small sitting area made up of a love seat and a large chair with a black coffee table. This was set up in front of what had to be a multi-window. For now, the window displayed a fire-place scene, but Maela would guess it usually overlooked the frozen planet and could be used as a com. It should be noted that Maela noticed a bottle of Keela and two glasses sitting on the coffee table. General Hux expected Maela to stay after dinner. Beyond the sitting area, farther into the apartment, was obstructed from Maela's view but must be the General's bed and bath. It was quite spacious, what you would expect the second highest in the First Order to have available to him.

"For tonight's meal, we have prepared Crystal Mushroom soup for the first course. The main course is braised Adegan Eel with liwi fruit reduction and jandarra. And dessert will be Soufflé a la Lothal," the chef informed.

"Thank you, that sounds wonderful," Maela replied. Too wonderful. These were all things that were very hard to come by. Adegan Eel? Jandarra? Maela hadn't had either of these in years.

"Yes, that sounds delicious, Chef Gastoo," said General Hux.

"To go with your meal, I have selected Jhantorian wine, aged finely at the Santhe family manor for generations," the sommelier said.

"Jhantorian wine!" Maela remarked, "How did you come by such a rarity?"

"My family has been friends with the Santhe's for many generations. When I was promoted to general, this bottle was their gift. They said to take it as a symbol of new beginnings. I felt it was wrong to drink it then; how fitting that I should drink it now with you," his eyes flashed with desire as he stared into hers. Maela's cheeks flushed and she looked away. Her heart rate climbing up again.

"My dear General, I will pretend I do not know what you mean by that. We are still strangers, after all." Maela had a sinking suspicion that tonight would end in a proposal. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this so soon, but she consoled herself saying that it was still possible he would not propose tonight. She knew she was probably lying to herself, but she couldn't come to terms with the intentions of this evening.

"Yes, my apologies, Miss Strafe," he said softly, setting his hand on hers, "Please forgive me, it is just that I have been in love with you for some time. I do hope we get to know each other better tonight."

"As do I, General," Maela gave a slight blush. It was becoming exhausting to keep up this act, but she was not paralyzed by fear as she had been at tea.

"Please, call me Bernard."

"Then you must call me Maela."

"Of course, Maela," he said it like a song. That name was music to him, a sweet melody. It filled him with thoughts of springtime and new life; the blooming of beautiful flowers. That's what she was, a beautiful flower, sitting here next to him in a dress as red as a rose. She would be his rose, his flower. Her beauty would be for him and him alone.

Maela watched the General's hungry eyes scan her. It chilled her and made her heart stop before resuming its fast pace. She felt nauseous and faint.

"The first course, Crystal Mushroom soup, enjoy!" the waiter ladled their soup. It smelled delicious. Maela had never had this dish, though she had wanted to try it ever since hearing of it a few years ago. And truly, Adegan Eel was Maela's favorite rarity. She was also notoriously fond of jandarra. She had a sneaking suspicion her mother had been here earlier that day. She tasted the soup. It was better than she had dreamed. General Hux's chef was quite extraordinary. The good food calmed her a bit and the excellence of the meal restored some of her appetite.

"I am already in the possession of much information about you, so let me ease your worries and tell you a bit about myself," General Hux said. Through the first and main course, he gave Maela a staggering autobiography. Everything from his earliest days to his recent posting to General of Star Killer Base. He told her anecdotes of his childhood that she laughed to, his somber moments of his formidable years and the passing of his beloved uncle which she reacted to with sympathy, and his conquests in the First Order that she greatly applauded. Maela did not speak much and was just fine with that. It meant she was not having to give information about herself and could also enjoy the marvelous dinner. Everything was perfection, from the soup to the eel. The wine matched perfectly with the meal and they were nearing coffee and dessert. Maela only feared that the General would soon end his narrative and she would be forced to converse equally again. Her fear was met swiftly.

"Well, that is quite enough about me," the General said, "Why don't we take dessert in the sitting area, it will be far more comfortable and I have a bottle of Keela. Your cousin has mentioned it is your favorite."

"That sounds lovely, it is" Maela replied.

"Gastoo, dessert will be in the sitting area."

"Of course, General Hux."

They sat together on the dark grey loveseat. The shiny black coffee table reflected the fireplace scene on the wall. General Hux poured each of them a glass as Maela began her soufflé. The bitter-sweet Keela complemented it well. Maela had a hard time believing that not every moment of this night was perfectly planned to get her to favor the General. All her favorite foods were present and the dessert happened to be well complemented by Keela? None of this was coincidence.

"I have taken up far too much of the evening talking about myself, please speak some so I don't feel so egocentric," General Hux gave a nervous laugh.

"To do that, I must know what my brother has supplemented you so I don't repeat anything he has already said."

"He told me how you were the runner-up Miss Denon last year. He and I wager it must have been rigged for you not to win." Maela had purposefully sabotaged herself there so as to be kept out of the lime-light. Let the winner of Miss Denon be hounded by suitors.

"He also said that you have been playing vioflute since you were a little girl and have won many competitions and performed at many concerts. As I have been led to believe, the arts are your passion. You dance, sing, play vioflute, paint, and excel at arranging bouquets. Your favorite colour is lavender but you are also quite partial to red. You often smell of Mycosia flowers as you spend much of your free time reading in the garden at your home on Denon- I am getting ahead of myself and talking too much again," the general said as he blushed.

"Well, it seems as though there's nothing about me left to tell; my brother has done good work as an information broker," Maela joked. General Hux gave a low chuckle. He came closer to her on the seat.

"What he never told me was how radiant you are when you laugh or how your eyes shine when you smile. He also forgot to mention how lovely your voice is," he was getting nearer and nearer to her. He cradled her hands in his as he leaned in closer, "How it sounds like music when you laugh…" His lips were inches from hers. Maela had already resigned herself to reciprocate a kiss if it came to that when she saw the Keela on the table. She must keep up appearances. No girl back home would give up the chance she had right now to marry the General. He was handsome, smart (if insane), had power; it was irony that the one person who was against the Order would be the one he would choose as his bride.

His lips met hers tenderly. She matched him. He pressed deeper into the kiss, reaching a hand to her cheek to cup it softly. Something lurched in Maela's stomach and she fought it down. She could feel the passion behind his lips. He put his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Something stirred inside of her that she didn't understand. The kiss that had started sweetly was now hot with desire. When he began trailing kisses down her neck, she had had enough and stood sharply. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking. Fear was not the only emotion she felt at this time.

"General!" she flushed, "You have gone too far!"

She turned away from him so he would not see how red her face was. He stood and took her arm gently.

"Please, I beg your forgiveness. It is only that I am so deeply in love with you and as you know, I have been for some time now, which is why I must ask you something…"

Maela's stomach dropped as she turned around. General Hux was had taken a knee and was fishing for something in his pocket. He produced the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. The band was platinum with a large karat Ruby as the center stone surrounded by tiny onyx stones. Diamonds of the same size circled the band.

"Maela Strafe, would you please do me the upmost honor of becoming my bride?"

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! General Hux does not currently have a canon name, so I just gave him one for the purpose of this fanfic. If a canon first name for him is revealed, I'll start to use that one. Again, thank you guys for your support!**


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